New NU-Q media, communication building dedicated on Doha campus

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Northwestern dedicated a new media and communication building on the Doha campus in Qatar last week, the University announced in a news release.

According to the release, the building is 515,000 square feet, making it three times the size of the previous structure, the release said. Designed by American architect Antoine Predock, the building is LEED Gold certified and features architectural elements that reflect Qatar’s desert landscape and local culture, the release said.

The building’s exterior features an LED media-mesh screen called the Saif Tip. The screen interacts with a three-story media wall within the building, which will display videos and images, the release said.

The building houses a projection theater equipped with a 4K cinema and 7.1 Dolby surround sound, an events hall that has the largest soundstage in the region and three production studios, the release said. Additionally, students have access to a studio where they can reproduce everyday sound effects, which could be added to multimedia projects, such as film and video. The building also features a 4K mastering room, which is equipped to edit digital cinema-quality film, the release said.

Students will also be able to utilize a newsroom, which is scheduled to be completed over the summer, according to the release. Designed by Beirut architect Ali Wazani, the newsroom will include a news desk, an area for panel discussions and a social media screen. The newsroom also has its own control room, which allows students to produce live reports across various platforms, the release said.

“This is everything you can dream about,” University President Morton Schapiro said in the release. “As President of Northwestern, I can tell you, nothing makes me prouder than to have a campus here in Doha producing graduates who are skilled in journalism, filmmaking and communication and carry the name of our university far and wide as they use their skills for the betterment of mankind.”